I had one shot left
Of that I had no doubt
For it kept floating in my mind
As I trudged deeper into the forest
The thorns tore at my flesh
Stones bruising my feet
But I still kept my speed
Not looking back though I was tempted
I must be miles away
But I could still hear the hounds barking
Their venomous teeth hot on my heels
Like a shadow at sunset
I thought my legs would break
Thought I heard my heart burst
But the soul in my body somehow was trapped
Only half alive and half dead.
Then I saw it in the end
At the end of the line
The forest gave way and there it was
A stony cliff with a sheer edge
A smile flashed across my face
And my heartbeat rose even higher
In my head I felt the fire
That stirs your mind in the face of death
I could hear their feet on the forest undergrowth
But that did not worry me anymore
My decision was already made
I got on my knees as if to pray
And from my pocket recovered the revolver
One thought went through my thoughts over and over
Only one shot left
The muzzle felt cold against my head
But my fingers were cold and steady
In my mind I knew I was ripe and ready
To take that final step
They had my whole life; I could not give them even my death
For they can have my body but not my pride
And as my conscience evaporated by and by
I felt satisfied, for I had died free from my chains
YOU ARE READING
Ubuntu:I am because we are.
PoetryUbuntu is an ancient African word meaning "I am because we all are". The bookis a collection of poetry written by teenage African writer Shemei covering a wide range of topics. keep reading......